Tilting tripod head



Sept. 13, 1949. H. BLAIR TILTING TRIPOD HEAD Filed March 19, 1946 wry,

INVENTOR.

H OSEA BLAIR ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 13, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TILTING TRIPOD HEAD Hosea Blair, San Francisco, Calif.

Application March 19, 1946, Serial No. 655,482

2 Claims.

An object of my invention is to provide a tilting tripod head for a camera in which the camera may be swung from a position in which its lens axis lies in a perpendicular plane into a position where the lens axis is inclined at an angle of 45 with respect to the horizontal. The camera can therefore be swung through an arc of at least 135. The camera is pivotally mounted on the base and is swingable through 360 about its pivot.

A further object of my invention is to provide a tilting tripod in which the camera base can be clamped in adjusted position for supporting the camera rigidly to the tripod at any desired angular position between the extreme limits of its movement. Novel means is provided for gripping the moving parts for holding them against accidental movement.

The invention is extremely simple in construction and can be manufactured at small cost, thus permitting the device to be sold at a cheaper price.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following specification, and the novel features of the device will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application, in which:

Figure 1 is an isometric view of the device showing a camera operatively applied thereto;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the device and illustrates it mounted upon a tripod;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2, and shows the camera base swung into a different angular position;

Figure 4 is an end elevation taken along the line IVIV of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a plan view of one of the serrated cup-shaped washers used with the device; and

Figure 6 is a vertical section taken along the line VI-VI of Figure 5.

While I have shown only the preferred form of my invention, it should be understood that 2 complete circle with respect to the platform and then secured rigidly thereto. The tripod base is most conveniently made of a rectangular plate as shown, this construction. providing it with straight parallel front and rear edges at opposites of its pivot point2.

The base B carries two wings 3 and 4 that extend upwardly from the top of the base as shown in Figure 1 each having a vertical edge rising above and substantially inalinement with the straight front edge of said base. The wings 3 and 4 may be cast as a unit with the base B or they may be provided with flanges 3a and 4a that are welded or otherwise secured to the base.

Referring to Figure 4, it will be seen that the wings 3 and 4 have integral bosses 5 and 6 that extend toward each other from the inner faces of the wings. The bosses receive a supporting shaft 1 that is keyed to both bosses at 8 and 9. The ends of the shaft 1 project beyond the outer surface of the wings 3 and 4 and rotatably sup port a camera base indicated generally at C.

It is best to describe the camera base 0 at this time and then to set forth how it is pivotally may be cast integral with the camera base 0, or

may be separate parts and have flanges Illa and Ila that are welded or 'otherwisesecured to the base. The wings l0 and l I have arcuate slots 12 and I3 therein whose centers lie in the axis of the shaft 'l'. 'I'he'wings l0 and II also carry bosses l4 and'l5 that extend outwardly from the outer surface of the wings and rotatably receive the projecting ends of the shaft I. The portions of the shaft ends extending beyond the bosses l4 and I5 are threaded at l6 and I1 and receive knurled nuts l8 and I9.

Between the wings 3 and I0, I dispose a washer 2B and between the wings 4 and II I dispose another washer 2l, these washers being mounted on the shaft 1. One of the washers is shown on an enlarged scale in Figures 5 and 6 and it will be seen from Figure 6 that the washer is slightly dish-shaped and Figure 5 illustrates that the concave surface of the washer is provided with radially extending serrations 22. The washers 20 and 2| are mounted on the shaft 1 so that their serrated surfaces will abut the inner surface of the wings l0 and II. It is possible to tighten the nuts l8 and I9 and cause the washers .20 and 2| to frictionally engage with the wings 3 l and l l for holding them against rotation with respect to the wings 3 and 4.

I provide additional clamping means in bolts 23 and 24 that extend through openings 25 and 26 in the wings 3 and 4 and also are slidably received in the arcuate slots l2 and I 3. Washers 2i and 28 are similar to the washers 20 and 21 and are placed between the pairs of wings 3 and I0, and 4 and- H. The serratedisurfaceof these washers 2'Iand 28=bear against the :wings l0 and H. Additional serrated washers 29 and 30 of the same type as the washers 20 are mounted on the bolts 23 and 24 and have their serrated surfaces bearing against the wings l0 and H. nuts 3| and 32 with elongated shanksargthream ed upon the bolts 23 and 24 and bear against the washers 29 and 30 to force them; against the wings I0 and I l. A tightening of the nuts.3l and 32 will also move the washers 21 and 28 into gripping relation with the wings Hi and II. The result is that thewings Wand Itwillbaclamped tightly to the wings 3and4" and can be-held in as indicatedvinE'i'gm-e: 1'; so til'atiihmlenaaxis 361' will'lie' in=a verticalz plane: It-iss'a-lsm possible to swing the? camera: intirat horizontal; position or into a position. where itheroam'e'rai axiss 3fi". will extenddownwardlwatfamanglbmfdfias shown in" Figure'35 It will ber'notezltiml 'igurefl thatthe camera has beem'swiing-ctlnoughv'am are of: 180 about theaxis'ofrthevboss-konrthe baseC so that the lens 35 willsbe pointing; the:'opposite-'direction to that showm'imFigures- 116501112. Thecamera' canv bep0inted%':in: any; direotiomv desiredwithin: thelimits of the swing; afforded by the wings l0 and H andrflleihoriwntal supporting.

shaft 1.

The foregoing adiustments; -itwill benoted; are accomplished: by; reason=.-of-.therposition1 of shaft Knurled- I, as shown, above the base B and near the plane defined by the front vertical edges of the wings 4. This allows the camera supporting base C, in the position of adjustment shown in Fig. l, to be rotated into engagement with the edges of the Wings 4 so that the operator knows that the camera is in a true vertical position, the camera then pointing downwardly beyond the forward edge of the tripod base. Whenithe base B isstilted in the extreme opposite position, showniin Fig. 3, the camera which is pivotally connected to its base by the screw 33 and is rotated thereon will project its lens axis beyond the rear edge of the base B;

I claim;

1. In a tilting tripod head, a horizontally rotatable tripod; base having parallel front and rear edges, upstanding spaced vertical wings on the base, a camera carrying base, means thereon for pivotally securing a camera thereon, said base having spaced wings locatedinoverlapping relation to the first-mentioned wings, ashaft pivotally connecting'said tWo-pairs'of wings disposed abovethe tripodbasaand in apositionto support the camera base-in" one' position-of'ad justment vertically above" and beyond "the front" edge of the tripod-base and'imanotheradjusted position at an" acuteangle'" to therear' edge' of REFERENGE$ CITED Thefollowing references-are. oflrecordin the. file of this patent:

UNITED STA'IBSH PATENTS;

Number Name Date 277,650 Wright May 15, 1883' 1,742,661 McClintock Jan. 711930.

FGREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date" 7 399,408 Germany July 22, 1924. 

